International Awards for Nursing Excellence

Purpose

Sigma's International Awards for Nursing Excellence are based on the society's dedication to fostering high professional nursing standards, recognizing superior achievement, developing leadership, and encouraging creative work.

Awards are conferred to nurses each biennium for contributions in the fields of research, leadership/professionalism, education/technology, communications, nursing practice, and chapter activity/membership.

Eligibility

Membership is not a qualification for all awards. Self and group nominations are accepted for some awards.

Current Sigma International Board of Directors, Sigma staff, Sigma consultants and contracted staff, and members of the judging committee are not eligible.

Award recipients from the 2015 and 2017 award cycle are not eligible to receive the same award in 2019.

Award Cycle

Award nominations are now closed.

Awards are conferred each biennium, for presentation at the biennial convention.

Award Categories

Purpose

The Founders Awards offer homage to the six founding nurses of Sigma and the director of nursing at Indiana University for their insights in 1922 that advanced scholarship, leadership, research, and practice. This award recognizes extraordinary excellence in research. Sigma membership is required.

Episteme Award

Purpose

The Baxter International Foundation’s Episteme Award is presented to a person or team for highly significant research, acknowledging a major breakthrough in nursing knowledge development that has resulted in a significant and recognizable benefit to the public. In the tradition of the Nobel Prize, the Episteme Award is presented to a person or team for highly significant research. The Episteme Laureate will be a keynote speaker at convention.

Evidence-Based Practice Award in collaboration with the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses

Purpose

The Evidence-Based Practice Award recognizes a nurse, group of nurses, or organization who is self-motivated and fosters a practice environment that promotes and values creativity, questioning, data-based decision making, access and synthesis of new knowledge, and the use of innovations to improve practice and clinical outcomes.

Research Dissemination Award

Purpose

The Research Dissemination Award recognizes an individual or group who has made a major contribution to the dissemination of research through a systematic effort or project directed toward making research available to nurses or the public for use in clinical nursing practice, education, administration, research, and/or public knowledge.

Research Dissertation Award

Purpose

The Research Dissertation Award recognizes a nurse whose doctoral dissertation is exceptionally meritorious and exemplifies high standards of scholarship and knowledge development. The nominee is required to have completed (defended) a dissertation between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2018.

Amy J. Berman Geriatric Nursing Leadership Award

Purpose

Designed to celebrate the accomplishments of an emerging nurse leader, the Amy J. Berman Geriatric Nursing Leadership Award is bestowed upon an individual who has demonstrated contributions to collaborative practice through involvement in interprofessional teams and defined commitment to gerontological nursing. Articulating impact via policy, advanced practice, system change, and advocacy is an important part of this leader’s experience. Sigma membership is required.

Daniel J. Pesut Spirit of Renewal Award

Purpose

The Daniel J. Pesut Spirit of Renewal Award is awarded to a nurse leader whose efforts to renew self and others exemplify purposeful reflection in practice, mindful understanding of human interrelationships, and display an appreciative, futuristic vision for the practice of nursing. Sigma membership is required.

Purpose

The Founders Awards offer homage to the six founding nurses of Sigma and the director of nursing at Indiana University for their insights in 1922 that advanced scholarship, leadership, research, and practice. This award recognizes extraordinary excellence in professionalism. Sigma membership is required.

Excellence in Leadership Award (Mary Tolle Wright Founders Award)

Purpose

The Founders Awards offer homage to the six founding nurses of Sigma and the director of nursing at Indiana University for their insights in 1922 that advanced scholarship, leadership, research, and practice. This award recognizes extraordinary excellence in leadership. Sigma membership is required.

Virginia K. Saba Nursing Informatics Leadership Award

Purpose

The Virginia K. Saba Nursing Informatics Leadership Award honors an individual for his or her innovative and cutting-edge work in the field of nursing informatics. The individual’s work must have resulted in a significant development and sustained contributions to advance the discipline of nursing informatics. The individual’s work also must achieve a recognizable and momentous public benefit. Sigma membership is required.

Best Practice in Technology Award

Purpose

The Best Practice in Technology Award recognizes and honors an outstanding use of technology in an instructional or clinical setting with the goal to improve healthcare by using nursing clinical data or an educational technology application. Pilot projects accepted; please include completion timeline and remaining operation milestones for completion.

Purpose

The Founders Awards offer homage to the six founding nurses of Sigma and the director of nursing at Indiana University for their insights in 1922 that advanced scholarship, leadership, research, and practice. This award recognizes extraordinary excellence in education. Sigma membership is required.

Capstone International Nursing Book Award

Purpose

The Capstone International Nursing Book Award recognizes the excellence of an outstanding book published by nurses. Any nursing book published between 2 February 2017 and 1 February 2019 is eligible. Book must be in print by close of eligibility period. Book must be submitted in English.

Media Awards

Purpose

The Media Awards recognize communicators, information specialists, photojournalists, and creative individuals and groups who pursue excellence in communicating nursing’s rich and diverse stories. The Media Awards are divided into two categories: Print (published materials) and Other (electronic, photography, video, art, etc.) This award recognizes materials produced from 1 March 2017 through 1 March 2019.

Audrey Hepburn Award for Contributions to the Health and Welfare of Children

Purpose

The Audrey Hepburn Award for Contributions to the Health and Welfare of Children was established in 1993 to honor Ms. Hepburn’s extraordinary work on behalf of children in need. This award is presented to a nurse who has made significant contributions to the health and well-being of children. Sigma membership is required.

Excellence in Creativity Award (Edith Moore Copeland Founders Award)

Purpose

The Founders Awards offer homage to the six founding nurses of Sigma and the director of nursing at Indiana University for their insights in 1922 that advanced scholarship, leadership, research, and practice. This award recognizes extraordinary excellence in creativity. Sigma membership is required.

Hester C. Klopper Global Health Award

Purpose

The Hester C. Klopper Global Health Award recognizes Sigma chapters or institutions of higher learning or practice with active Sigma members engaged in undertaking projects that address global health disparities. This award recognizes activities that were completed between 1 March 2017 and 1 March 2019.

Purpose

The Founders Awards offer homage to the six founding nurses of Sigma and the director of nursing at Indiana University for their insights in 1922 that advanced scholarship, leadership, research, and practice. This award recognizes extraordinary excellence in nursing practice. Sigma membership is required.

Practice Academe Innovative Collaboration Award

Purpose

The Practice Academe Innovative Collaboration Award recognizes an institution or group of institutions that optimize the way nursing practice and academe work together to accomplish Sigma’s vision of creating a global community of nurses who lead in using knowledge, scholarship, service, and learning to improve the health of the world’s people. Collaborations should advance the profession and the discipline of nursing within their respective community/communities, resulting in improved patient care outcomes.

Chapter Communications and Publicity Award

Purpose

The Chapter Communications and Publicity Award recognizes chapters that have exceptional chapter communication and publicity efforts. This award honors the creativity and hard work it takes to communicate effectively with members of the chapter, campus community, and local community to enhance visibility for the chapter and Sigma. This award recognizes chapter communications and publicity efforts from 1 March 2017 through 1 March 2019.

Chapter Key Award

Purpose

The Chapter Key Award, established in 1991, honors Sigma chapters that excel in chapter-related activities such as, membership recruitment and retention, publicity and programming, professional and leadership development, and collaboration.

Chapter Excellence Award (Ethel Palmer Clarke Founders Award)

Purpose

The Founders Awards offer homage to the six founding nurses of Sigma and the director of nursing at Indiana University for their insights in 1922 that advanced scholarship, leadership, research, and practice. This award recognizes extraordinary chapter excellence. Chapters should submit their own Chapter Key Award submission.

Purpose

Named for past president Melanie C. Dreher, the Outstanding Dean Award for Excellence in Chapter Support recognizes nursing program administrators whose contributions in promoting Sigma’s mission, vision, and goals have gone beyond normal expectations.

New Member Pillar Award

Purpose

The New Member Pillar Award recognizes a recently inducted member whose nursing practice reflects care, commitment, and creativity to advance the profession and whose exemplary voluntary service and leadership achievements have positively impacted Sigma, their chapter, and the nursing or healthcare profession. Sigma membership is required.

The Board and Presidential Awards are conferred by the Sigma International Board of Directors and President each biennium.

Archon Award

Purpose

The Archon Awards are granted to individuals or groups, regardless of their profession, who have made health a major aspect of their lives, and their efforts have created significant change that is national or transnational in scope. In all of their endeavors, they embody the Sigma values of love, honor, and courage.

Nell J. Watts Lifetime Achievement Award in Nursing

Purpose

Dorothy Ford Buschmann Presidential Award

Purpose

The Dorothy Ford Buschmann Presidential Award is bestowed by the international president of Sigma to recognize exceptional contributions to nursing. In 1997, in celebration of Sigma’s 75th Anniversary, the award was named to recognize the pioneering leadership of the honor society’s first president, Dorothy Ford Buschmann (Alpha), Indiana University.

Lucie S. Kelly Mentor Award

Purpose

The Lucie S. Kelly Mentor Award is bestowed by the international president of Sigma to recognize the influence counselors or guides in the nursing profession have on the lives and careers of others. The award is named in honor of past president Dr. Lucie S. Kelly (1983-1985) for her devotion to the spirit of mentoring.

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